Chicago Nighttime Car Accident

Driving at night presents a unique set of hazards. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration accident statistics, 54 percent of U.S. traffic fatalities occurred at nighttime in a recent year.

If you’ve been hurt in a nighttime car accident someone else caused, you could be owed money for your medical bills, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering. Contact Salvi Schostok & Pritchard P.C. to learn more about your legal options for pursuing this compensation.

How an Experienced Car Crash Lawyer Can Help

Since its founding over 40 years ago, Salvi Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has focused on helping Illinois injury victims seek the justice they deserve. We’ve recovered over $2.5 billion in compensation for our clients, including more than 350 verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more. Some of our top auto collision case results include:

A $33,210,919 jury verdict for a client paralyzed in a Lake County car accident
A $21,059,014 jury verdict for a client injured in a Cook County car collision
A $20 million settlement for a client injured in a Cook County auto accident
A $12 million settlement for a Cook County family whose loved one died in a car accident

We’re proud of our track record of success and dedicated to pursuing the maximum compensation our clients are entitled to.

Seeking Compensation After a Nighttime Driving Accident

If someone else caused the nighttime driving accident that injured you, you have the right to pursue compensation for your losses, including:

Past, ongoing, and anticipated future medical expenses
Lost wages, including loss of future earning capacity
Costs to repair or replace your damaged vehicle
Physical and emotional pain and suffering

In cases involving fatal car accidents, a Chicago car accident attorney can pursue compensation for wrongful death on behalf of victims’ loved ones.

The amount of compensation you pursue following a nighttime car accident depends on the specific circumstances, the severity of your injuries, and your likelihood of making a physical recovery. Your attorney can study the evidence of your case to determine an amount that represents full and fair compensation for your losses.

Common Factors Involved in Nighttime Driving Accidents

Night driving differs from daytime driving in some critical ways that increase the risk of collisions. Some of the potential dangers include:

Reduced Visibility – Nighttime visibility is substantially reduced from daytime conditions, making it harder to see around you and what’s on the road ahead of you. Nighttime drivers may also experience glare in their rearview mirror from oncoming lights of other vehicles. When a driver’s vision is reduced because of nighttime conditions, you have less time to react to changes in your surroundings, animals on the road, and other vehicles, including those with car maintenance issues on the side of the road.
Impaired Driving – Impaired drivers are a particular danger at nighttime because they’re experiencing the same challenging conditions as you are but with worsened faculties, judgment, depth perception, and reaction times. Encounters with a drunk driver on a dark road can be deadly.
Speeding – Driving a little faster at night can be tempting when fewer drivers are on the road. Truck drivers are notorious for driving over the speed limit during these times to get cargo to their destinations on time. However, driving at higher speeds reduces your reaction time, making it harder to avoid a collision with oncoming traffic or navigate a difficult curve.
Fatigued Driving – Tired drivers are more likely to be out at night. Whether they’re people with sleep disorders, who work long days, or who are trying to make some extra progress on a long road trip, driver fatigue slows reaction time and increases the risk of falling asleep and drifting out of their lane.

These various factors can result in devastating accidents. They’re often made worse because drivers can’t see far in front of them, limiting their time to react to sudden hazards and slow down in time to avoid them.

Motorists’ Duties If Driving at Night

All drivers have a duty to avoid car crashes. Here are some safety tips to reduce your risk of being involved in a nighttime accident:

Slow Down – Many fatal car crashes occur because drivers are going too fast, particularly at night. Adjust your speed to make it easier to react, slow down, or stop if needed.
Don’t Drive While Tired or Under the Influence of Medication – Avoid nighttime accidents by driving only while you’re most awake and alert. Sleepiness and certain medications slow your reaction time.
Check Surroundings – Keep a close eye on the road and everything happening around you, even when traffic is light and the roads seem deserted. Distracted driving is more dangerous at night.
Don’t Look Directly at Headlights – Look away from the headlights of oncoming vehicles. The bright light can temporarily blind you.

By concentrating on the road and remembering your responsibility to yourself and others, you can better avoid a catastrophic nighttime car collision.

Proving Liability in Nighttime Driving Accidents

Proving liability for accidents that occur during the nighttime hours can be a challenge for various reasons. There may be less visible evidence available and no witnesses who saw what happened. The other drivers involved may have less information to provide because of limited visibility.

Your personal injury attorney must review the available evidence and determine who was responsible for causing the collision and how. If the other motorist did not exercise sufficient caution in their driving and you suffered injuries as a result, they may owe you compensation.

Contact an Illinois Car Accident Attorney Today

If you suffered an injury in a nighttime car accident due to another driver’s negligence, you may be facing significant physical and financial challenges. You have enough on your plate already – you shouldn’t also have to navigate the legal system as you pursue compensation for your losses. Let the team at Salvi Schostok & Pritchard P.C. handle that process for you. We’ve been fighting for our clients for over 40 years and can put our skills and resources to work for you.

Contact us today to arrange a free consultation to discuss your case. We look forward to learning more about your situation and helping you determine your next steps.